Golden Age
by Miriamimus
Summary: Connected NG oneshots involving all the Weasley children, Scorpius, and all their friends. How revenge backfires, the Weasleys still hate the one that gets the badge, Madam Puddifoots is still vile and what half-vampires and half-werewolves agree on...
1. Chapter 1

AN: I just saw how many Next Generation fics there were and thought I'd have a go myself. Can't promise v. regualar updates but I do have a lot of ideas and I've written 2 so far. Anyway, there will be pairings, and they may not be in chronological order.

PS: Sorry if I've borrowed names from other fics, I can't remember, but I THINK I might hae taken Pam (Charlie's wife) from somewhere.

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1.The Hogwarts Express

James watched his family as the train pulled out of the station then as the train picked up momentum he moved back into his compartment where his cousin Cameron was sitting.

You could tell by looking at them that they were both half Weasley, with their red hair and freckles. James had green eyes, a Potter trait, just like their cousin Victoire had inherited her mother's silvery blonde hair, how Amelia's fiery locks fell in curls, taking after her mother Penelope, how Sarah wore Alicia's calm expression rather than George's laughing one. But they all had some Weasley trait, you could count on it. Except for James' brother Albus, of course, who looked the spitting image of their father.

He sat down opposite his cousin and watched the people milling about in the corridors. Fred, Cameron's brother looked in with his best friend, Ben Jordan. Fred stuck his tongue out at the new soon to be First Years, before carrying on down the corridor carrying a rucksack that was no doubt full of Wizard Wheeze's products, like Cameron's.

Clearly even in Fourth Year, he had not given up wreaking havoc.

Cameron gave a sheepish smile. "Is this what you expected?"

"No, not really." replied James. "Thought it would be a lot more interesting."

"I could make it more interesting." said Cameron rummaging through his bag and pulling out a firework. James looked at it.

"Yeah, why not?" he shrugged.

Cameron stuck his head out of the corridor, which had died down a bit, before lighting the end of the firework. It fizzled in his hand and he let it fly, bouncing off walls and sending sparks everywhere. James joined him at the door and laughed as bewildered faces popped out from separate compartments.

One face, that of a small girl their age, with straight brown hair and bright eyes said "That was flipping brilliant." She walked down to their compartment. "Are ye First Years as well?"

They nodded.

"I'm Gráinne, Gráinne Finnegan. I'm starting this year too. Can I sit with you?"

They nodded and the small girl sat down in their compartment. She looked at both of them. "So what are your names then?"

"Cameron Weasley."

"James Potter."

"Potter? Like Harry Potter?" James nodded. The girl continued "Me mam and dad were in the same year and house as him. We still get Christmas cards." She turned on Cameron. "Was your dad Ron?"

"No, George."

"Oh." said Gráinne, shrugging. "Is he the one with the shop in Diagon Alley?"

"Yup. You been there?"

"It's me favourite shop in the world. Did you get that firework there?"

"Yeah."

"Cool!" said Gráinne. "Do you have anymore?"

"Loads." said Cameron smiling. "But I'm not using them all on the train."

"Fair play."

"So you Irish?" asked James.

"Half. Mam says she hadn't a clue how I got the accent, 'cause we've lived here all my life like, so it must just be from hearing Dad talk."

"Who were your parents? I'll ask Dad if he knew them."

"Seamus Finnegan and Lavender Brown." she answered happily. "So d'ye have any family here at the moment?"

"Well." said Cameron taking a deep breath. "There's Charlie and Pam's kids, Sophie and Elliot, Sophie's in Fifth Year, Elliot's in Third. Then there's Uncle Bill and Fleur, they have Victoire, she's the stunning one in Fifth Year with all the hair, and Jean-Paul, he's in Third Year too. Then there's my brother Fred in Fourth Year and my sister Sarah in Third. Oh and Uncle Percy and Aunt Penelope's daughter Amelia's in Fourth Year too."

"And then there's me, and Teddy Lupin in Seventh Year, he's practically family. And then I have a brother and a sister who haven't started, and Ron and Hermione's two haven't started either."

Gráinne whistled. "That's a lot of you. There's just me and me brother Conor in Fourth Year. He's in Hufflepuff. What house do ye want to be in?"

"Gryffindor!" said all three at the same time and smiled.

"Are all your family there?" she asked.

"No, only Elliot, Victoire and Fred so far. And Ted. I think I'll be though." said James proudly.

"Sure of yourself aren't you?" said Gráinne smirking.

Just then a dark skinned girl with long coffee coloured hair walked past the door, smiling vaguely, then turned back, showing wide blue eyes contrasting with her complexion, and waved a large turnip at them before setting off again.

"Who was that?" asked Gráinne.

"Stella Thomas. Ravenclaw Second Year. Old family friend." said James shrugging.

"Completely bonkers." said Cameron.

Gráinne shrugged. "I think I'll go get me robes on and stuff."

"But it's hours away!" said Cameron.

"Yeah, still..." she said and walked out the door.

It was when she walked out that the clouds of lavender smoke appeared and an awful stench filled the entire compartment. She had dropped a Dungbomb. She looked back in the door and laughed at them.

It was at that moment Cameron Weasley decided he would have his first kiss with Gráinne Finnegan or die trying.

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Yes I know, I have a fetish with Lavender and Irish names!!! But there shouldn't be too much after this. 


	2. A Hufflepuff Revenge

Voila Ch2!

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2. A Hufflepuff Revenge

It was a childish plan really.

Sophie just wanted to get back at her cousin Victoire. Really badly.

Generally, the two were really good friends. Indeed, often when they were young, others had questioned why the lovely Victoire spent time with plain, frizzy haired Sophie Weasley. You couldn't have told the two were at all related, until you saw the twinkle in Victoire's eyes that resembled that of Uncle George, and the faint, almost invisible freckles across her nose. Even then it didn't make much difference. Even when she tried not to, Victoire outshone everyone in the room.

When they got to Hogwarts, Sophie felt almost glad that they were in different houses. She had not seen that much of Victoire really, when they were younger, only at Christmas and Easter and some times in between that Charlie came back from Romania. Though she loved her cousin she did not want to be constantly in the background.

Four years had gone by since the Sorting Hat had placed her in Hufflepuff and her cousin in Gryffindor, and the two were still good friends.

But this, this meant war.

Victoire had never had any trouble with boys. Perhaps that was why she saw the world in such a simple way. When Sophie had told her that summer about her crush on Cedric Corner Victoire had smiled. Cedric had inherited his mother Cho's good looks, straight black hair and slanted dark eyes, and both his parent's prowess at Quidditch, he played Chaser on the Hufflepuff team as his father Michael had for Ravenclaw. Sophie wasn't alone in liking him, though no one would ever admit to it.

Victoire however, had marched right up to him in September and told him that Sophie fancied him.

Sophie was ready to strangle her. Two weeks later and Cedric was looking at her every time he passed, turning her face as red as her hair.

Now she was going to get her own back. Telling any boy that Victoire liked them wouldn't embarrass her at all, as the boy would suddenly develop a deep infatuation for the half-Veela.

Teddy Lupin, however, was not any boy.

So that was why one October Friday evening found Sophie crouching by the stairs outside the Gryffindor portrait hole, waiting for the Seventh Year to appear.  
She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Elise Nott approaching.

Elise was a stringy looking Slytherin girl in her year. Ever since the war before they were born, there was a certain group of Slytherins that most people in the school heartily disliked. Especially the descendants of Death Eaters.

Elise's grandfather had been a Death Eater, and most people in the school shunned her. But Sophie, along with her best friend Alexia Goldstein, were paragons of all the virtues associated with Hufflepuff house. They had seen the lonely girl and rather than casting her out, had invited her into their posse. Elise, though perhaps a born outcast, had good friends.

"Lees? What are you doing up here?"

"Looking for you. Alexia said you were here...waiting for Teddy Lupin?"

"Yeah I am." she said as Elise crouched down beside her. "I'm taking revenge on my dear cousin."

"I thought he wasn't actually your cousin."

"Not him, Victoire!"

"Oh. Is this to do with Cedric?" asked Elise.

"Yes of course it's to do with Cedric." Sophie nearly snapped back.

"So you're going to... Sophie, this is so immature!"

"So?" asked Sophie innocently.

Elise rolled her eyes. Then she said suddenly "Look, here he comes!"

Teddy Lupin, with his special skills, took the appearance of a Muggle movie actor with black curly hair and soft brown eyes. Despite the fact half the girls in the school liked him, he was kind and friendly and not at all cocky.

Sophie paused.

"Hey Sophie," he said. "What are you doing all the way up here?" He frowned at Elise. "And you?"

"Waiting for you actually Teddy." Sophie stood up and took his arm. "I wanted to tell you something."

"What?" he inquired.

"You remember my dear cousin Victoire?"

"Ah oui oui," he said. "And what about her?"

"Well, she... she really likes you!" Sophie blurted out.

"Really?" asked Teddy.

"Um, yeah," said Sophie.

He looked amused. "And you're telling me, why?"

Sophie hesitated. "Actually, now I have done, I really have no idea why."

He laughed. "You never change, do you know that?"

Sophie stuck her tongue out at him. "Okay, maybe she told Cedric that I like him, so I decided to get my own back. I just made a complete fool of myself didn't I?"

"Mm-hmm," said Elise in a bored voice.

"Not a complete fool." said Teddy putting an arm around his so very nearly a cousin. "Besides, that was information I needed." He gave her shoulders a squeeze then withdrew. "Time for some serious flirting," he said rubbing his hands together.

"Ted you wouldn't!" Sophie's mouth dropped.

"Why not? She's gorgeous." He looked at Elise. "Well go on, I'm not saying the password in front of a Slytherin."

The two girls began to make their way down the stairs. After the second flight Sophie stopped.

"That whole plan just completely backfired didn't it?" she said.

"Maybe you should just stay away from the whole revenge thing," said Elise.

Sophie agreed as they parted, one for the kitchens and one for the dungeons.


	3. Boring? Ravenclaw? Nah

Well, now I've started, it's hard to stop! Featuring Luna's daughter!

* * *

3.Boring? Ravenclaw? Nah.

"I'll bet you Five Sickles Henrietta will crack first," said Amelia to her cousin Jean-Paul in a carrying whisper.

"You're on," he said. "Stella will never be able to beat her. She's way to weak." Stella Thomas and Henrietta Goldstein sat opposite each other at the table in the Ravenclaw common room. Around them sat nearly the whole of their house.

"This is ridiculous," said Georgina Matson, a 6th year prefect. "We shouldn't be allowing this. Why aren't we stopping it?" she asked her fellow prefect, Barry Peakes.

"Let them go. I have a feeling that Thomas girl will hold out."

"And if they don't?"

"Oh, give it a rest Georgina," said Lydia Cackle, Head Girl of Hogwarts that year. "It's not as if you've never burnt yourself on an Acid Pop. It's easy to repair."

"But this isn't a normal burn, it's-"

"Shut up!" said Jean-Paul, flicking back his silver-blonde hair. "I would like to see who shall win."

"Yeah, 'cause you're going to lose your bet!" said Amelia. She had taken after her father Percy in her love for gambling money she didn't have.

"Well, hurry up at least, I need to use the table." said Georgina.

"You have a desk upstairs," said Barry.

"Yes, but-oh, fine, they can do it, but on your own head be it!" she said and folded her arms.

"Right," said Nigel Fedora, the 3rd year umpire to the two 2nd Year contestants. "The rules are clear. You must each put one of these," he picked up a black wrapped sweet. "Extra Strong Acid Pops upon your tongue. Neither of you may stand up or make noise. Squirming and eye-watering however, are allowed. Whoever is the first to break one of these rules or spit theirs out, is the loser. You may not swallow the sweets, and must not take it off of your tongue because my lovely assistants here," he pointed to girls on either side of him. "Will know. Now, please unwrap your Acid pop."

Henrietta did not break Stella's gave as she twirled the black layers off.

"Now, let the games begin!" said Nigel.

Each girl popped a sweet into their mouths.

Ravenclaw watched as one person. As Nigel had said, eyes did begin to water. Henrietta squirmed uncomfortably.

"Come on Henri," said Alan, a boy in her year.

"Stella, Stella, Stella," Amelia Weasley started a chant. A few people picked it up.

"Henri, Henri, Henri," started Alan. Jean-Paul began with him and others joined them.

The two objects of their attentions were oblivious. Henrietta was suffering. Stella just sat and surveyed her.

The chants rose to a shout, and people screamed over the top of them. Obviously Amelia was not the only one with a bet riding on this.

At last Henrietta stood up and spat the black pellet out of her mouth, gasping for breath. "Water," she panted.

Lydia, as the most senior in the room, took her wand, yanked open Henrietta's mouth and said "Aguamentai!"

Henrietta choked on the force of the water hitting her throat. Half of the room cheered, the others groaned.

Stella looked around and very calmly took the sweet out of her mouth. "Does this mean I win then?" she asked.

"We have a winner!" said Nigel, grabbing her wrist and holding her hand up. There was a burst of clapping and whistling.

"How did you manage that?" said Henrietta.

"I just didn't think about the acid burning through my tongue. But I'm glad it's over, I was getting rather uncomfortable. You don't suppose I could have some water too?" she said to Nigel.

"Get the girl a glass!" he said. There was a bustle as a tiny 1st year ran to fetch one.

Henrietta looked at her opponent. "You are seriously not normal sometimes Stell." she said.

"Yes, but who would want to be?" Stella asked. "Ah, thank you," she said as the 1st year returned with a glass. She took a delicate sip, then looked around the room. "Well, you can collect your money now," she said and there was more raucous cheering and screams.

So loud was it that no one heard the knocker ask a question or see their Head of House appear until he was in their midst.

"What is going on here?" asked Professor Zeller.

"Sorry sir," said Georgina. "I tried to stop them but-"

"It was just a competition," said Lydia. "To see whether Stella or Henrietta could produce the Aguamentai charm."

"They're only Second Years!" he said.

"Yes, but they're Ravenclaws," said Lydia. "Although Henrietta's backfired, you see, she's sopping wet." She pulled Henrietta forward to show the evidence of her own work.

"Well, if that's what it was," he said thoughtfully. "Let me see then,"

"Oh no sir, you see, though Stella could do it, she only did it once, we wouldn't want her to hit you."

"Very well. I shall leave you to it. But please keep the noise down, you'll wake up the Grindylow I have in my office and we wouldn't like that would we?"

"No sir," agreed Lydia.

"Well, I'm glad to see that you have organized some house activities. You know, some teachers seem to think that Ravenclaw would be the most boring house to be in! Preposterous!"

"Indeed," Lydia said as he left.

"That's Seven Sickles Johnny," Amelia whispered to her cousin. "Remember those two you bet me last week that Lids would never lie to a teacher?"


	4. Fear of Snakes is called Ophidiophobia

I know I said they wouldn't be regular updates, but this is so fun to write!

I thought I should write something about a Slytherin, and this is what it turned out as. Well, **_I_** like it :). Plus I found this awesome list of phobias while I was looking up the word for fear of snakes... it gave me a lot of laughs.

* * *

4.Fear of Snakes is called Ophidiophobia... 

"Look!" said little Theseus Nott. "A snake!"

Everyone in the Slytherin moved towards where he was pointing.

Except for Lucinda Zabini. "How awful," she said, shivering. "I think I'll just go outside."

She slipped out of the room quietly into the dark corridor.

"It's nearly time for dinner," she said to herself. "Perhaps I'll go upstairs."

She started that way and came out at the Entrance Hall. It was empty except for one person.

Elliot Weasley was a Gryffindor one year above her. He played Seeker for his house Quidditch team and was really good at it. Lucinda knew, a few months ago she had made her debut as Chaser for the Slytherin team. What had really surprised her though, was how little he had jeered them when Gryffindor won. He was good natured and friendly and one of the pupils who was willing to let old prejudices die.

"Hey Elliot," she said to him.

He looked up from his perch at the bottom of the stairs. "Oh hi, Lucinda is it?"

"Yup," she said happily. "What are you doing all the way down here?"

"Oh, um, nothing." he answered looking away quickly. Lucinda gave him a "I know you're lying" look.

"Well, um, actually." He looked her in the eye. "Can I tell you something?"

"Okay," she answered, sitting down on the same stair as him but on the other side. There was no point in pretending they were anything like friends.

"They have a cat in our common room," he explained.

"So?"

"I hate cats. You could almost say I'm afraid of them."

"A Gryffindor? Afraid? Of cats of all things."

"I know! It's stupid. But when I was little, my aunt this big old tom cat, it was so old, I'm not actually sure...anyway, its name was Crookshanks and it scared the living daylights out of me. And once it pounced on me and I fell over and all I could see was ginger fur..."

Lucinda fought the urge to laugh. "What aunt was it?" she said, knowing the Weasleys were a large family, some of them quite famous.

"Hermione," he said. "She went ballistic. Crookshanks died soon after that. She had had him since she was thirteen."

"I'm thirteen now," Lucinda said.

"Me too," said Elliot. "So why are you here?"

"There was um, a snake in our common room."

"And?"

"And I'm terrified of them! The way they move, ugh, it's horrible!"

Elliot stifled a laugh. "A Slytherin scared of snakes!"

"A Gryffindor scared of cats!"

His smile vanished. "I guess we're square then."

"Guess so." They both looked at the hourglasses. "Hey!" said Lucinda. "We're even. Look! Slytherin: three hundred and twenty five, Gryffindor: three hundred and twenty five."

"Yeah, but Hufflepuff beat you both." said a voice. They turned around. Behind them was Elliot's sister Sophie.

"Boo!" she said. "What you doing down here Elliot?"

"Fred brought a wild cat into the common room."

"Ah." Sophie said.

"What were you doing up there?"

"Looking for Amelia, she owes me money." Sophie frowned. "And you? Is it Lucinda?"

"Yeah. Theseus found a snake in our common room, I have a phobia of them."

"Fear of snakes is called Ophidiophobia." said a matter of fact voice behind them. All three looked around to see Amelia Weasley. "Oy, loser," she said. "Two Sickles, no, Teddy Lupin isn't going out with our cousin."

"Great," said Sophie pocketing the two silver coins.

"What are you doing here Elliot?" asked the curly haired Fourth Year.

"Fred, cat, common room."

"Aw, you're scared of this little thing?" said Fred coming down the stairs holding a tabby cat.

"Ailurophobia, fear of cats." said Jean-Paul.

"Why do I suddenly feel like I'm in the middle of a Weasley family reunion?" asked Lucinda.

"Don't worry, we all feel like that sometimes," said Sarah, Fred's sister. "It's a fact of life I'm afraid."

"One that we will strive to overcome!" said Fred tearfully.

"We're sorry for your loss," said Cameron as he and James came down the stairs from the Gryffindor tower. "Hey, Sarah, I want my part of the package Mum and Dad sent you."

"It's only fireworks," said Sarah. "I checked. I'll give them to you after tea."

"Too many, too many!" said Lucinda standing up.

"Too many what?" asked Victoire as she came down the stairs as well. "James, give me back my Prefect's badge, I know you and Cameron took it."

"You've been spending too much time with Uncle Percy Vicky," said Fred.

"Hey!" said Amelia. "What's wrong with him?"

"Ah, well, we all know you're a loose cannon, Meals, he's been training up Victoire to be Head Girl."

"I am not a loose cannon!"

"No, she isn't really. She just has some gambling issues," said Elliot. Amelia kicked him.

"Ow!" he said and punched her leg.

"Elliot, have you done your Transfiguration homework? I need help on mine," Sarah interrupted.

"And obviously you couldn't ask the clever one!" said Jean-Paul.

"You're not in my class though!"

"Like our cousin Elliot has done his," said James.

Lucinda's head flicked from one to the other of them, utterly confused as to who was whose sibling's, and they all began to talk over each other. In the end, she got up and ran back to the dungeons. She'd rather have the snake.

The eight Weasleys and one Potter looked on.

"Oh dear," said Sophie.

"Poor girl," agreed Elliot.

"It wasn't unexpected," frowned Victoire.

"We could have been less harsh," suggested Jean-Paul.

"I would have bet that I saw that one coming." said Amelia.

"Some people can't help it," said Fred.

"It was obvious," said Sarah shaking her head sadly.

"She must suffer from..." started Cameron.

"Weasleyphobia." finished James as his cousins pounced on him.


	5. Lion's Letters

Okay, so apart from certain words, perhaps this is a sort of non Hogwartish story, but you have no idea how much I enjoyed writing it. Ben and Zara remind me of two of my best friends (in fact sometimes Zara reminds me of myself in the dialogue.) And if you don't like it, I understand, but don't blow up at me over it. Flame if you must, but flame POLITELY.

Oh and, I was proofreading and realised I had made a lot of mistakes as to who was speaking at what time, if you see any I've missed, please review and tell me, I will give you juice and biscuits.

* * *

5. Lion's Letters 

"Tell Lily I say Happy Birthday!"

"Ask Uncle Charlie if he's ever going to give me that dragon scale."

"Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick," said Zara Wood into her cushion.

"Why?" asked Ben Jordan as he sat on her legs.

"Hey, get off!" He obliged and she sat up. "It's five o'clock Saturday afternoon. The Weasley's letter writing hour. It's so quaint, it's practically a cliché."

"Mm, a nauseating one." agreed Ben. "How can anyone love their family that much?"

"They don't. It's all just a show." said Zara.

"My parents never write to me," said Ben sadly.

"No, because they just broadcast everything they want to say over the wireless."

"True." he conceded.

"Well, my parents never write to me either." said Eugene Longbottom.

"Eugene, your parents live on school grounds."

"I'd still like a letter once in a while." he said. "That reminds me, I've got to do my Charms homework, Mum will kill me if I don't hand it in." He got up and with a muttered "See you later" the Third Year left.

"Right," said Zara. "Ben, we are going to write letters home."

"We are?"

"Yes." She bent down and rummaged through her schoolbag to reveal two rolls of parchment, a bottle of ink and two quills. She opened the ink and dipped her own quill in. "Well come on then," she said and he followed suit.

"Dear, no, dearest Mum and Dad," Zara began.

"Look, if you're going to start with dearest you can't say Mum and Dad. Dearest Mother and Father." Ben wrote it down.

"Better." She looked over to where the Weasleys were sitting all immersed in their letters and chewed her quill. "Now what?"

"Salutations and Felicitations", Ben was writing.

Zara laughed. "Okay," she said and copied him. "I trust I find you and Puddle well."

"Whose Puddle?" he queried.

"Puddlemere United mascot. Dad looks after him."

"What is he?"

"We're not exactly sure. So what are you going to say?" she said looking at his parchment.

"Right. I trust I find you and the Crumple Horned Snorkack well."

"The what-?"

"Oh, um, it's a private joke... my dad did this interview with Luna Thomas and all she talked about was these creatures called Crumple Horned Snorkacks and Dad didn't want to disappoint her so he said we had a pet one." he said with a shrug.

"That's normal." said Zara returning to her parchment.

"Mm. Okay, what next? I know: Good news! They have chosen me to commentate at the upcoming Quidditch match."

"Right. Well...Good news! We won our Quidditch match against Hufflepuff and I scored seventeen goals."

Ben snorted. "No you didn't. It was seven."

"Hey, I want to sound impressive!"

"I thought this was about being what was it? Quaint."

"Myeh, quaint, posh, impressive, it all goes together really." she shrugged.

"Right."

"Now what?" she asked, thinking as she stared into the dying fire.

"The nosh is really excellent?" Ben suggested.

"Ben, we've been here for, what, four years? We must have said that one before."

"Fine. You say something then." he said making a face.

"We learnt how to perform a Locomotive Charm today in a really top-notch lesson." she said confidently

"You know, the fact you just said top-notch really frightens me."

"Just write it. You said nosh. Your turn to think of something."

"As brave Gryffindors we also ventured to the outskirts of the Forest, but we did not enter, it is named Forbidden for a reason!" he said in a pompous voice.

"Ha, like our parents were never in there. But, alright, alright its going down, don't hit me!" she said.

"What next?" asked Ben.

"Don't know." Zara looked around. "They're all still writing," she whispered in Ben's ear.

"It scares me!" he whispered back.

She giggled. "Yes, if it scares a brave Gryffindor like yourself it must truly be terrifying!"

"We haven't mentioned the weather!" he said suddenly.

"Now that February is here, the snowdrops blossom beautifully at the foot of the magnificent Whomping Willow."

"And what a sight it is!" said Ben.

"To see the moss on the roofs of the castle turn green as we return from practice."

"To watch as the days get longer and the golden rays get lengthier."

"Wow, Ben, we're good!" Zara exclaimed.

"Now what?" he asked.

"Maybe we should sign off?" she suggested.

"But that's only eight lines." said Ben.

"We're trying to be quaint, not novelists."

"Right. Your loving son, Ben."

"Benjamin Lee Jordan." said Zara. "Full name."

Fred smiled as he looked down at his letter. Perhaps it was quaint, but at least he hadn't used the word "nosh." He looked over where the two of best friends were leaning their heads together and giggling. He shook his head and turned to Elliot sitting beside him.

"Ben Jordan and Zara Wood flirting with each other. So overdone, it's practically a cliché."


	6. Amortentia

AN: Sorry, it's been a while. Anyway, voila!

Jean-Paul and Nigel have reached that awkward stage...

* * *

6.Amortentia 

Jean-Paul Weasley and Nigel Fedora were good at potions.

You could even say they were the best in their year. Today however, there was someone better.

Professor Gauss paced between the round tables at which his Third Years were brewing simple Shrinking Solutions. Or so he thought.

Professor Gauss, though no doubt an excellent potion maker and a fair teacher, was incredibly short-sighted. He had a pair of small spectacles perched upon the end of his nose that really did not help at all. It was all too easy to steal ingredients as he walked around the desks.

Which was why, under his rather pitiful watch, one of the Hufflepuff girls was doing something extremely uncharacteristic and brewing something else. Nigel and Jean-Paul's own potions forgotten, their makers leaned over to watch as her slender fingers dropped a little brown sugar, a pinch of saffron, a drop of nightingale's blood into her cauldron and stirred it.

Freya Dunstan was, there was no other word for it, stunning. At very nearly fourteen, she could pass for some great goddess rising out of the sea. She had long golden red ringlets falling down to her hips, though today skewered into a just about falling apart bun with a pair of long violet chopsticks. Her pink lips pursed as she frowned at the potion. Her sparkling wide blue eyes danced as the steam began to rise. She may be a Hufflepuff, but she was brave and clever and wise and, as far as the boys could see, perfect.

"Everybody please bring up a vial of your solution."

"Nigel, make two vials," she hissed to him. He obliged.

"What are you going to do with yours?" asked Jean Paul. Freya ducked under the desk and returned with two flasks from her bag.

"Help me put it in these," she said smiling at him.

They did so and made it out of class, the love potion in the flask and a vial of Nigel's potion labelled as Freya's.

"Now what?" asked Nigel, in awe of the girl.

"Now we decide who to give it to, and let the fun begin." He nodded in agreement.

"But who?" asked Jean-Paul.

"That's up to you. But remember it's like Polyjuice Potion. You have to put in a hair of the person you want them to fall in love with first."

They both looked at her dumbfounded. She really thought they were just doing this for a joke!

"It's probably best if we leave it for a while to mature. So it's stronger."

"How long?" asked Nigel. "How long should we-" he gulped. "Let it mature." Unfortunately, Nigel, unlike Jean-Paul possessed no Veela blood or in fact knew any, talking to people did not come as easily to him. Even if the Veela gene was only passed down through the female descendants, he had still inherited his mother's good looks.

"At least for tonight. But we all have to agree on one person." she said. "Well, two people."

"Can we each have a vial of it?" said Jean-Paul thinking quickly. "If we get a hair we don't want to lose it before we can put it in."

Freya chewed this idea. "Alright," she said. "But be careful not to get any on your fingers after you've put in the hair."

They walked out of the dungeon and into one of the hidden corridors. Freya opened one of the flasks. She sniffed happily.

"Doesn't that smell divine?" she said. "Freshly baked bread, incense, roses..."

Nigel looked at Jean-Paul. All he could smell was Freya's perfume.

"Right, so let's do this," she said giving them each a vial. "Tomorrow break, we come back here and say who we're going to give it to."

--

The next day Nigel and Jean-Paul returned to the dark corridor. Freya was not there.

"She's late," said Jean-Paul sliding down the wall.

"You haven't decided either have you?" said Nigel sighing.

"Well, no. Because well, I only really was planning on slipping it to..."

"Freya." said Nigel. Jean-Paul nodded. "Yeah, me too." said Nigel also sitting down.

"And you think she's honestly doing it as a joke?" Jean-Paul raised his eyebrows.

"The truth?" asked Nigel. "I think she fancies you."

Jean-Paul grinned. "You think so?"

"She wouldn't have agreed otherwise."

"She might have agreed because she fancies you."

He looked at Nigel, then simultaneously they shook their heads and said "Nah."

Nigel grinned. "I'd punch you if you weren't so nice usually."

"Right, so, if we're not going to give it to her, who are we going to give it to?"

"Dunno. I'm up for pouring it down the loo. It's a bit of a cruel joke really. I'd say, use it on Freya or don't use it at all."

"Ha!" said a voice from behind the tapestry. They both stood up quickly and the tapestry was pulled away.

"Amelia!" said Jean-Paul. "What are you doing?" He caught sight of his cousin's companion. "Freya," he said.

"Sarah was telling me about this. Couldn't resist. Sorry. So," Amelia turned towards Freya. "That's three Sickles please, I told you he liked you."

"Amelia, you have got to stop betting on people's love lives."

Amelia gave him a tiny wink. "So, in return for those three Sickles, Freya, I am taking you to the Three Broomsticks to meet my French cousin, whereon you two shall begin going out and I shall have no part in the matter. Nigel, I'm sorry, the consolation prize however, is a chance to get up close and personal with the lovely Sarah Weasley, Hog's Head, this Saturday, three o'clock." She smiled. "Well, I'll leave you youngsters to it." she skipped away.

Freya blushed a lovely pink. "She said you liked me and I said I bet you don't and she kind of took my word for it."

Jean-Paul, grinning from ear to ear and making a mental note never to be mean to Amelia again said "And the Amortentia?"

"Oh, it hasn't matured enough to be in anyway effective." She blushed deeper. "I thought I'd just like to talk to you."

And Jean-Paul Weasley was thinking that you don't need to drink it for it to be effective.

* * *

AN: Sorry if I'm overdoing Amelia Weasley. She's the Twins mushed into one person and turned into a girl. For fun. She's also Percy's worst nightmare of a daughter. And she enjoys gambling. Well, **_I_** like her. Please leave a review, I'll give you a chocolate brownie! 


	7. Family Proceedings

AN: I'M SORRY! This is a pointless chap., you are completely allowed to flame, don't be obliged to like it or even read it. It's just one of those things I love writing, just a scene. I also like the Peakes family, you'll probably see more of them, and in the spirit of George/Alicia I was thinking Fred/Jen despite the age difference, what do you think? Also, Gregg will feature quite majorly in a Teddy chapter. I wanted to show there are other families except the Weasleys. Also coming probably is Elliot/Poppy...sorry for the stereotyping :D. Well, perhaps you'll enjoy it despite all the criticism I'm giving. xxx

(EllaBella13, here's something about Pam! Not a lot but hey...)

* * *

7.Family Proceedings

"Right," said James looking at the page in front of him. "How Magic Aided Leif Ericson." He looked around. "So how did magic aid Leif Ericson?" he asked.

Elliot shrugged and looked at Victoire (who usually knew these things) who shook her head and looked at Teddy who frowned and raised his eyebrows at Gregg Peakes who was Head Boy who pursed his lips and looked at his younger sister Jen, who bit her lip and nodded at Poppy MacDonald-Kelly who looked back at Elliot who hid his surprise at her blushing by turning to Fred who grinned and stared at Zara who grimaced and nudged Ben who flicked Cameron on the head who blurted out

"Do you know Gráinne?"

Who snorted and said "That's likely," and looked at Violet Jenkins who said

"He discovered America didn't he?"

"All the less reason for me to know then," said Gráinne. "Sure didn't they kick me dad's cousin Fergus out. The rest of us decided we were never going there."

"Never going?" asked Violet. "Ever?"

"Well I mean, I suppose when Fergus dies which I mean, won't be long considering all the trouble he's getting himself into all the time. But until then..."

"You're half American aren't you Elliot?" said Zara.

"Mum's from Canada," said Elliot. "One of the top research witches that they ever had."

"But you live in Romania," said Poppy.

"Yeah. Half Canadian, half English, brought up on a dragon compound," said Elliot shrugging.

"I wish our life could be that interesting," said Jen wistfully. "All we've got is mine and Barry's birthday party where Aunt Barbie takes her false teeth out." She sighed.

"Yeah but I mean your family are all responsible and calm and clever," pointed out Victoire. "I'd much rather be you."

"I'd prefer to be you because of all the random things that happen." said Gregg to Teddy.

"They're not my family really," Ted pointed out.

"Not if you mean by blood of course," said Violet. "But I'd love to be a Weasley, just for a day," she said to James.

"Marry me and you can be," he said to the girl with long black lustrous hair, elfin features and bright purple eyes. Of course she was part vampire.

"I like my family." said Ben.

"Well yours is as bad as theirs," said Zara. "Worse I should think."

"Worse than spending every holiday on the Quidditch pitch?" he asked her.

"That'd be so cool," sighed Fred. "That's it Zara, I'm marrying you."

"Only if you improve your beating skills," she said.

"I'll be on the team once Amber Moss leaves," he said. "I'm better than her already."

"Watch it," said Jen. "She may not be here but Gregg is." Fred shot a glance at Jen's older brother, Amber's long term boyfriend. "Okay, so I'm not better than her." he said slowly. "But almost as good. I'm as good as you at any rate Jen."

Jen shrugged. "As good as, but not better. Maybe when you're in Sixth Year..."

"It must be a Peakes family thing to be a Beater," said Poppy. "You and Barry and Gregg going out with Amber."

"It's a twin thing," said Fred. "My dad and his twin were Beaters. Before your dad took their place. But I thought your family thing was just grow up, be a Prefect, be Head Boy or Girl, have dreams about the future then...well then whatever."

"I hate to tell you," said James. "As much as I enjoy this conversation, it's no help at all with Leif Ericson."

"And I need to copy yours," said Cameron.

"And I need to copy his," said Gráinne, throwing a Fanged Frisbee in the air. Jen caught it neatly and tossed it to Gregg.

"Those things have been banned for years," she said lightly.

"You're no fun sometimes Jennifer," said Fred. Jen stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh, you rebel!" said Zara. Jen slapped her slightly on the head.

"This isn't helping!" said James desperately. "Where's Rose when you need her?"

"At a Muggle primary school," said Fred.

"Learning maths." yawned Elliot.

"And grammar." said Victoire.

"As if none of you ever did." said Gregg rolling his eyes. "I spent two whole years in school. Jen and Barry spent three."

"Horrible it was." said Jen. "But Mum wanted us to get a feel for lessons before we came here."

"Still, three years is a bit much isn't it?" Victoire frowned.

"Oh, cousin Victoire just loves school," said Elliot. "Can't wait to be Head Girl! She should marry in to the Peakes family."

Only Gregg noticed Teddy blushing, as Teddy glanced quickly at him.

"Look!" cried James. "Is no one going to help me with this or not?"

"You can copy mine," said Violet. "If you'll just shut up."

"Shut him up!" shouted Fred, throwing a cushion at his younger cousin. Cameron, Ben and Zara followed, then the rest of the common room.


	8. The Marauder's Map

AN: stuff the latest canon, I'm not letting Luna marry Rolf and I'm not letting go of all those Weasleys and I'm NOT letting George marry Angelina! Lee was always next in line after Fred in my books, and Alicia and George, I've always shipped them. So, I'm guessing this isn't particularly canon, but it never really was. If you've got a problem with that, then go read something else.

Anyway, I've had this up my sleeve for a while. TAKES PLACE WHEN TED IS IN THIRD YEAR. Also, I can't remember if I said in the last one or not, it doesn't say it in my Word doc. but I mayhave changed it at the point I proofread, Gregg is like, a Seer. So now you know. Please R&R, I'll love you for it :D.

* * *

8.The Marauder's Map

Teddy was lying awake thinking about what to do about the lovely Amber Moss, staring at the canopy above him when Gregg sat up in bed.

"Where's the Hufflepuff dorms?" he asked.

Teddy grinned. "Who is it this time?"

"Alexia Goldstein in First Year. I need to tell her that her fiancé is cheating on her."

Teddy laughed. "How far in the future is this?"

Gregg gave a sleepy smile as he calculated. "Sixteen years." he said.

Teddy looked at his best friend. Gregg ran a hand through his blond curly hair and grinned. Sometimes having a friend prone to prophetic dreams living in the same room as you could get annoying, but after two and a half years of Gregg constantly going to great lengths to help the people he saw Teddy was used to getting caught up in the plans.

"You're mad Gregg," he said, but he still reached under the valance of his bed and pulled out the seemingly blank piece of parchment. "Come here," he said. "We'll find out."

Gregg climbed out of bed and went over. "Lumos," he said and lit his wand.

"This is something special," Teddy said and tapped the parchment with his own wand. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Lines began to appear over the page. "Wow," Gregg said. "This is Hogwarts!"

"Harry gave it to me." Teddy said proudly. "He says that Uncle George gave it to him in Third Year. I have to give it to James when I'm done."

"This is amazing," Gregg said. "Look, we're here." He pointed to Gryffindor Tower, where two dots marked Gregg Peakes and Ted Lupin were hovering.

"Isn't it?" Teddy said. He pointed to the names at the top. "Moony. That was my dad. He helped make it when he was in school."

"Wow," said Gregg. "Who were the others?"

"Sirius Black, James Potter and..." he frowned. "I don"t know who Wormtail was. Harry never said, he just said some things are better left unknown. Wormtail was a traitor see?"

"Sirius Black, James Potter!" Gregg whistled. "Some friends."

"I know," Teddy grinned. "Left quite big shoes to fill, my dad did." His smile faded.

"Do you miss him?" Gregg asked quietly.

"I never knew him. How can I miss someone I don't know?" Teddy said. "Besides, I've got Nan, and Harry and Ginny."

Gregg smiled. "Hufflepuff!" he said loudly.

"Has to be tonight?" Teddy asked. "I'm kind of tired."

"More like kind of thinking about how to get with Amber, which I'm not going to let happen."

Teddy was impressed. "You're the real deal." he said. "The real psychic."

"Yup," said Gregg happily. "Now, Hufflepuff dorms!"

"You sure it can't wait until breakfast?"

"If I don't warn her, in seventeen years she'll fall into deep depression and start drinking. No, it cannot wait until breakfast!"

Teddy sighed. "Okay, fine." He nudged away some floors to reveal Hufflepuff. "There we go." he said. "Now, First Year Girl's dorms... they're not here." he said suddenly.

"What?" said Gregg. "I thought this was a magic map."

"No First Year Hufflepuff girl's dorm..." Teddy mused. "Why not?"

He suddenly felt very let down. Gregg looked at him as he deflated. "What's up?" he asked.

"There are so many things I never got to ask them." he explained. "I mean, why not? Why no First Year Hufflepuff girl's dorms."

"Maybe they weren't interested in First Year Hufflepuff girls." Gregg ventured.

"Why would they be interested in First Year Hufflepuff boys then? And look, there's the First Year Slytherins. It's weird." He sighed. "I guess that it's just one of those things I'll never know."

Gregg put a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright you know," he said. "I'm not about to laugh at you for saying you miss your parents."

Teddy shook his head "No, what I said is right. I don't... miss them, exactly. I just wish sometimes that they were still here, that I could ask them..."

"So would anyone." It was a bit haunting really, how Gregg was so perceptive. If it had been anyone less charismatic, less friendly, less virtuous, it might have been frightening. But he simply cared. For everyone.

"Thanks Gregg." said Teddy, staring at the word "Moony" on the page. "I suppose you're right."

Gregg got up and stretched. "Maybe Alexia can wait until morning. I mean she'll be twenty-seven after all!"

"We'll catch her at breakfast," Teddy promised. "Mischief managed." he whispered to the map and the lines vanished.

"Nox," said Gregg reaching his bed, plunging the room back into darkness.

Teddy shoved the parchment back under his bed and resumed looking at the canopy. But this time he wasn't thinking about Amber Moss, and as he shut his eyes he dreamt of a tired looking boy with brown hair sneaking out of school after hours with his three best friends and knew he could live up to that legacy.


	9. Beaters

AN: Sorry, I think I may be overdoing the Peakes family, but I really like them.

This takes place when James is in Second Year. A year later folks! Coming up is Rose/Scorpius, probably, because I wrote a random drabble about them in Fifth Year, and then I had a dream I was in the National Library with Scorpius... anyway, yeah... don't like it, then flame. Review anyway, I will give you a bearhug! And also, if you would like to see anything written, feel free to ask!!!

* * *

9. Beaters.

"Right," said Josh Dingle looking at his team. "We've got the first match against Slytherin next week, and _we're going to win_."

"Should hope so." muttered Jen. "We've beat them six years running."

"Then you must be the lucky charm," Fred teased her.

"Fred, this is your first match. I think you can live up to Amber's legacy, but that means _no flirting_. Honestly." he said as Jen blushed.

"She's not his type Josh," said Zara, tossing the Quaffle to her fellow chaser. "Head Girl and our Fred? Get real."

"What's our plan of action?" asked Elliot peeling off his Keeper gloves.

"Score, get the Snitch, win." said Josh.

"Good plan." muttered James. "Looks like it's all down to me."

"James this is purely a trial run." warned Josh. "If you mess up, you're straight off the team again. I can very easily put Elliot back in Seeker and call Keeper try-outs."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because you can do this if you put your mind to it."

"I prefer Keeper," said Elliot.

"Josh, if you're not going to say anything useful, can we please go and have a shower? I'm frozen." said Poppy. Elliot nodded.

Josh sighed. "Fine. Beaters, put away the balls."

"Why is it always us?" groaned Jen, but she stood up anyway. "Come on Fred," she said twirling her bat. The others disappeared for the showers as the two of them struggled to get the chained up Bludgers back in the box. At last Jen squashed the Quaffle in on top and they fitted the bats into the sides. They walked down the passage with the box and left it in the store room and began to make their way back along to the corridors.

"Think I can live up to Amber's standards?" Fred joked.

Jen shrugged. "Don't know. You might, I don't know, crack under the pressure tomorrow and go mad."

"How is Amber anyway? I haven't heard from them."

"Gregg and her are travelling at the moment. Last owl I got was in September, haven't the faintest where they are now." she said with a grin.

"And here I was thinking you were responsible and thoughtful."

Jen took the notion to threaten him with a hex for that and dug in her pocket for her wand. It wasn't there.

"Fred?" she asked. "Where's my wand?"

He frowned. "Maybe you left it in the store room. Come on, we'll go check."

They went back and looked around. "Could be under here," he said, pointing to the racks of waterproofs worn by students taking flying lessons in bad weather. He got down on his front and searched. "Ah, it is!" he said, retrieving it. "Wow, this is short!" he said looking at it. "Mine's nearly twelve inches."

"Mine"s only six and a half, alder and phoenix feather." she said as he stood up. Her fingers curled around it. He didn't let go. "Thanks," she said. He didn't let go of the end of it. Their hands touched. She looked at him. They were exactly the same height. She thought with a smile. Five foot nine. She grinned at him.

"You wouldn't like that wand. It's too calm for you."

"Really? So it suits its owner." he teased.

"Am I too calm for you?" she asked stepping forwards slightly.

"Sometimes," he raised his eyebrows. She took a step back. "Not today," he added hastily. She moved forwards again.

"As for me," he continued. "Mine is very tricky, likes to play up."

"Suits it owner then," said Jen.

"Although I reckon they'd do well with their forces put together," Fred said, and kissed her.

He let go of the wand and she put her arms around his neck.

"Fred?" came Zara's voice. "Fred are you here? Ben wants-" she turned the corner into the passage. "Oh." she said.

--

The next day was surprisingly warm for November. The three friends sat on the little landing stage built out onto the lake. Zara lay down at the end and trailed her fingers in the water.

"I actually think I'm going to be sick," she said. "She's Head Girl, Fred."

"And don't I know it?" Fred said.

"I agree with Zara, it's nauseating. Head Girl Jennifer Peakes and Fred Weasley the Second." said Ben. Fred punched him.

"I mean, you, Fred. And Jen?"

"Somebody's jealous." smirked Ben. Zara flicked water at him.

"It's actually disgusting. What will your dad say?"

"I'm not going to tell him," Fred said simply. "But I mean, Mum was a Prefect, and Dad married her."

"But _Head Girl_!"

"Shut up Zara!" said Fred. He nudged her closer to the edge.

"You wouldn't dare." she said sitting up.

"Wouldn't I?" he asked.

"Because you'd get into trouble and then your _girlfriend_ wouldn't be happy." said Ben.

"Oh, you two just go away why don't you?" he said. "Remember my, ahem, _girlfriend_ would be all too happy to punish you for teasing me."

They scarpered. Fred couldn't help but smile, even wider when Jen came running down to him in a very un-Head Girl-ish way.


	10. The Sorting of 2016

AN: Probably not of much interest to you, but hey, I wanted to write a Sorting Song! If you want to know about the random things the hat says, I've been contemplating writing a story aboutthe founders, that's where it comes from...

So, enjoy!

* * *

10. The Sorting of 2016

The First Years huddled at the top of the Great Hall and watched as the older students looked back at them.  
The ragged old hat was set on a stool by Professor Zeller. There was silence. It opened a rip like a mouth and began to sing.

_"You may see me and may think,_

_That I am just a hat,_

_But put me on and you shall find,_

_I'm so much more than that._

_I'm smart and brave,_

_And wise and true,_

_And try to find these things in you._

_Perhaps you are like Gryffindor,_

_Brave Godric, my maker,_

_Who wore me to win the heart,_

_Of fair lady Rowena._

_Or perhaps like Ravenclaw herself _

_Who wit and wisdom owned,_

_And ran from her father's creaking house,_

_Where the west wind moaned._

_Or like her servant, dear Helga,_

_Hufflepuff's true founder,_

_Whose loyalty to her dear friends,_

_Will never fail or flounder._

_Or maybe you are Salazar, the sly,_

_Who joined them most late,_

_And left upon his cunning soon,_

_The Slytherin, the snake._

_I can see inside your minds,_

_And see the four in you,_

_Are you brave or are you wise,_

_Are you secretive, or true?_

_Put me on and I will say,_

_Which you remind me of,_

_And wherever I put you may,_

_You find others just like you._

_So come up now, do not be shy,_

_Let me see your mind and heart,_

_Let me help you to decide,_

_Now let the Sorting start."_

Professor Zeller called "Acton, Gina." A scared looking girl put the Hat on. In a matter of moments, she was put into Hufflepuff.

It continued in this manner. In a few seconds the Hat decided where each pupil would go.

It only had trouble when it got to the "Ms".

"Malfoy, Scorpius," Professor Zeller called.

A small blond haired boy with a long nose and chin walked up and settled the Hat upon his head.

"_Oh, a Malfoy is it? I remember your father. Part Black. But what's this? Greengrass? Hmm. Well, you'd do well in Slytherin. But there's brains in here. And loyalty. And, oh, bravery too. This is a hard one. Where do you think you belong?"_

_"I don't know. Slytherin, I suppose. I'm a Malfoy, after all."_

_"I suppose you are. Very well._ Slytherin!"

The boy took off the Hat and joined the Slytherin table.

All ran smoothly until the "Ps."

"Potter, Albus." A muttering went around the room. A boy with messy black hair and round glasses went cautiously up.

"_Oh_," said the Hat. _"Oh. A Potter eh? Wanting to be in Gryffindor I'll bet."_

_"Yes."_

_"Well, bravery's there. Some loyalty, some brain, nothing remarkable. But ambition, heaps of it. Cunning. You're a born Slytherin. But you don't want to go there?"_

_"No-not really."_

_"You don't sound sure? Hmm... indecision... well, I'd have to say,_ Slytherin!"

Some confused clapping went around the hall. Some people stood up, looking bewildered, mostly with red hair.

Then it was fine. The last name to be called was "Weasley, Rose." A girl with red ringlets stepped up to the stool.

"_Not another Weasley! You people have so much time on your hands, you have nothing better to do than have children!"_

_"Hello. You know my family then?"_

_"Hmph. Well, there's courage there. Suppose you want to be in Gryffindor?"_

_"Not really actually."_

_"No? Quite right then. I suppose it had better be, ooh, with brains like these_, Ravenclaw!"

There was a cheer as she sat down and caught her cousin's eye at the next table. He was sitting beside a small blond boy. Albus smiled at her. The blond boy turned around and caught her gaze.

Both pairs of eyes narrowed.


	11. The Very Last Apple

Back when James is in First Year. Okay, so this happened a while ago at lunch in school, I couldn't resist putting a Hogwarts twist on it. Rose/Scorpius or randomness about Quidditch coming up. Enjoy!

* * *

11.The Very Last Apple

"I hate curry," Poppy groaned pushing her food around her plate.

"I'll have it," said Fred, taking a spoonful of her rice.

"You're welcome to it." she said. "I think I'll just have an apple."

The Fourth Year Gryffindors looked to the bowl of apples. There was only one left.

"You know we shouldn't have left practice so late," said Zara. "There's hardly anything left."

"True," Fred conceded. There were very few people left in the Great Hall, most had gone back to the common rooms to rest up before Monday morning.

Poppy, Ben, Zara and Fred sat at the table. Eugene sat a little further along, Elliot plunked down beside him. Jen and Josh were sitting together discussing Quidditch tactics. Fred spared Josh a single, disdained look before turning back to the group.

"Poppy are you eating that apple or not?" Ben asked. Poppy was daydreaming in Elliot's direction.

"Sorry." she said. "Yeah I'm eating it." She went to grab it, but Ben got there first.

"Ben," she wailed. "I just had practice, I haven't eaten and I'm hungry."

He took a bite out of the apple and grinned.

"I hate you," she said. "That's the last one."

"Okay then." He rolled it across the table to her. "We'll share."

She took it, bit a huge piece off and sprinkled water from her glass on it. She rolled it back over.

He took a crisp chunk in his mouth, dumped it in his glass of milk and sent it flying back to her.

"I like milk," she said and bit into it again. She smeared it in the butter dish and passed it back to him.

"Ben you're not going to eat that are you?" Zara said.

Ben took another bite and put a few grains of rice on it, before rolling it back over. Poppy bit into it, rice and all. She put it in the empty jelly bowl and swirled it around, letting it pick up all the dregs. She rolled it back over.

Ben grimaced and put the apple in his mouth, a look of triumph on his face as he took it away. He smeared it in the leftover curry on his plate.

Poppy bit her lip, took out her wand and said "Tergeo." The curry came off and she took her bite.

"That's cheating," said Ben. She rolled it back over.

"Wingardium Leviosa," he said levitating it to his mouth, taking a bite and spitting on it.

"Ben!" Zara said in disgust.

Jen looked over at this cry.

"Ben what the heck are you doing?" she asked. Ben grabbed the apple and passed it back to Poppy. Poppy took it between thumb and forefinger, looked for a clean spot and took a chink of it. Jen and Josh came over.

"What are they trying to achieve?" Jen asked. Fred shrugged.

"Scourgify," Ben said, cleaning off the tea Poppy had just dumped half the apple in. It didn't work.

"Scourgify!" he said again, to no avail. He said "I'm not eating that,"

"I win then," said Poppy.

Ben frowned, took it and bit into it, swallowing almost immediately. He dropped the whole thing in the coffee jug and handed it back to her.

"Ben you can't expect her to eat that." Zara said. Poppy stared at the apple.

"If she doesn't want it, I win." he said.

Poppy surveyed the apple a moment longer, threw it at Ben, shouting "Reducto!" while it was in midair. It exploded in his face.

He delicately took a piece off the side of his mouth and chewed it.

"Not bad," he said. "I still win though."


	12. Madam Puddifoot's

Woot, woot, guess who just realised that, although FF doesn't like her Word documents, it supports her Wordpad ones!! Woo!

Well, it IS Valentine's Day, I couldn't resist a Madam Puddifoot's scene...

* * *

12.Madam Puddifoot's

"You're not fecking serious." said Gráinne.

"Please." said Cameron. "Only I spent all of my money in Honeydukes and-"

"You don't get, like, a family discount or something?"

"They disbanded that long ago." said Cameron. "You know that."

"I thought they might have changed it ever since I wrote to your dad in the summer complaining about how I always had to pay for you and James." she muttered.

"I still can't believe you did that."

"Yeah, well I did! And still here I am, lending money to you yet again."

"So you'll lend it to me?"

"Last time." she said sternly. "I'll give you Five Sickles, alright? Because I'm not getting any allowance for about a month so I've got to keep it all safe."

"I love you Granny."

"I know. Which is why you're never going to call me Granny again."

Cameron grinned. "Okay then."

He skipped the queue (his status as a Weasley did give him that privilege) and paid before coming back to her.

"Right, where to next?"

"Should we get James something?"

"It's his own fault for landing himself in detention," Gráinne said. "Besides, his dad sent

him a parcel the other day."

"Okay. Should we just wander round?" Cameron asked. Gráinne nodded.

"Sure." she said.

Outside everyone was in groups of two. Cameron felt distinctly uncomfortable walking among the couples with Gráinne and no James.

"Isn't it weird how everyone's suddenly a couple in mid-February?" she said.

"Yeah, I guess." Cameron said uneasily.

"Happy Valentine's by the way." Gráinne said.

"You too."

"How about we go somewhere to celebrate?" Gráinne said. She waggled her eyebrows. "Are you up for Madam Puddifoot's?"

Cameron forced his shock into a signature grin. "I'm game if you are."

"I'm always game for anything." Gráinne said and led him to the little tea shop past Dervish and Banges.

"This'll be a laugh." Gráinne said.

But as soon as they opened the door Cameron couldn't help blushing.

"What?" Gráinne asked. Her deep blue eyes shone out of a prettily flushed face. "You're not embarrassed to be seen with me are you?"

"Well, a little," Cameron teased, "after all you're so horribly ugly, with not a whit of brain or good humour."

"Well, at least I'm not a redhead so lacking in charm as yourself."

"Are we square then?"

"I guess we are."

They sat down and a waitress who Cameron thought was incredibly pretty came to ask them

what they wanted.

"Just tea please. For both of us," Gráinne added, seeing that Cameron was practically drooling over the waitress' overflowing white blouse.

She left again.

"So…" Gráinne said, bringing her friend crashing down to reality. "Hey, have you done your History of Magic?"

"No. I was just going to copy yours. You?"

"I was just going to copy Violet's." Gráinne said with a grin.

"We certainly put our brains to good use." Cameron said.

The conversation carried on in this manner. Cameron was so caught up he didn't notice the pretty waitress return with their drinks, or when she came back to take the empty cups away.

Gráinne looked up halfway through a story. "It's getting dark. We should head back up to the castle." Cameron nodded. She left some money on the table and stood up.

It was possibly the clumsiest first kiss in history, but Cameron still relished te fact he had kept his vow from all those years ago on the train. He still remembered Gráinne's shock when she bumped into him and how quickly he pressed his mouth to hers.

"After all," he said. "We are in Madam Puddifoot's."

"And it is Valentine's Day." Gráinne said with a grin. "Only…"

"Let's never do it again?" Cameron asked with a sinking feeling.

Gráinne shrugged. "Well, at least not for another couple of years."

"That's alright." Cameron grinned.

He could wait.


	13. The Badge

Well, I've had this half written for ages, and here it is! Finally! Well, I hope you enjoy it... if you did (or didn't) press that little grey button and REVIEW! Else I will follow you home. Please? I live for reviews.

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13.The Badge

"What is that?" said Fred, disgusted.

"It's a badge," Sophie said.

"No!" Sarah shouted, bounded over the back of the sofa and grabbed the offending item off her cousin.

"It's not possible." Cameron said. "It couldn't be."

Elliot pounced on Sarah's back and they tumbled over. He took it off her again.

"I reckon it's counterfeit," he said, turning it to see it in different lights.

"Must be," said Fred. "I mean, if it was real, why would you have it?"

Sophie picked up the letter that had been dropped on the ground.

"That's definitely Longbottom's signature," she said.

"Yeah, but it's pretty easy to forge," Fred said. "Do you not remember when we had to get Cameron out of a spot of trouble?"

"No, 'cause look, do you remember, we couldn't manage the whole GB thing in the middle," Sarah said, pointing. "And there it is."

George and Alicia's children all stared at their cousin.

"Then again," Sarah said, turning back. "I guess with a little practice…"

"Guys, maybe he just _got the badge_." Sophie said.

"He can't just _get the badge_," Fred said. "He's- he's-"

"Victoire got the badge," Cameron said.

"Yeah, but she doesn't count."

"Why not?" Sophie said.

"'Cause she's part French." Fred said. "Duh."

"Fred darling, sometimes you make no sense," Sarah said, patting her brother on the head.

"No, do you know what?" Cameron said. "I reckon the owl's gotten lost."

"How many other Hogwarts students live in Romania Cam?" Sophie said.

"Why didn't I get one then?" Sarah said, slumping.

"Freya will have got the Hufflepuff one," Sophie said. "Remember she used to be mad about order in the common room?"

"Who cares about Freya?" Cameron said. "The point is, he's got a you-know-what in his hand."

"That's a problem." Fred said.

"Fred you can't talk!" Sophie said. "Who was defending Jen when she was Head Girl? Who's _still_ defending Jen?"

Fred visibly blushed. "That's completely different." He turned back to Elliot. "This is just _wrong_."

"I have to agree." said Cameron. "No one in their right mind would make Elliot prefect."

"I want to be prefect," said Sarah grumpily.

"I reckon Dad would disown you." said Cameron. "How Fred got away with going out with Head Girl I'm not sure."

Elliot stared at the badge. "You don't think they'll make me Head Boy will they?"

The others looked at him for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Sophie smiled at her brother. "You're good El, but you're not _that_ good."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Dad's going to punch Uncle Charlie," Cameron said conversationally.

"Not to mention Uncle Ron," added Sarah from the sofa.

Elliot frowned. "Wasn't he a prefect?"

"Yeah. And Aunt Hermione. And Uncle Bill. And Uncle Percy. And Aunt Fleur was in her school. And Mum, come to think of it."

"Yeah, and our dad was Quidditch Captain. So was Uncle Harry, and Aunt Ginny" said Sophie.

"What has that got to do with anything?" Fred asked. "The point is, nobody in their right mind would make El a prefect."

"You're not the first Fred Weasley to say those words," George said, walking in. "Although I have to agree."

He and his three children sighed and stared at Elliot. Sophie turned around and looked at him too.

"Although," he said. "Technically, if Ron and Hermione and Bill and Percy and Alicia and Fleur were all prefects…"

"Yes?" said Fred. "Well done…"

"And if Dad and Harry and Ginny were Quidditch captains,"

"Yes, Elliot?"

"Well," Elliot said cocking his head. "Uncle George, that would leave you as the odd one out."

There was a pause. Then George said, in a very good impression of Uncle Percy: "Well then, congratulations Elliot, I have to go and see to that, um, thing."

Nobody spoke, until suddenly a whoosh of green flame appeared in the fireplace. Molly Weasley walked in.

"Hi Nana," said Elliot, blushingly. George's children all smirked.

"Oh Elliot, I just heard the news, that's fantastic! Oh I always knew you could do it, oh I'm so happy!" Elliot struggled, but his grandmother had an iron grip.

"I'd rather be the odd one out," said Fred, and the others agreed emphatically, leaving Elliot to his fate.


	14. Filthy HalfBreeds

Finally updated! Well, this was fun to write. Nice to get Lily in there... I've been suffering from writer's block recently...

In any case, I have nothing against the books I mention, if you like them, by all means, go ahead and read them. I just despise the two main characters. Esther is a depiction of the type of fangirl I hate...

(if you haven't heard of the Twilight series, a lot of this won't make sense, sorry...)

Anyway, I own neither series :D.

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14.Filthy half-breeds.

A damp October's night found most of Gryffindor sitting in the Common Room, engaged in homework and letter writing, when suddenly Esther Kipling, a First Year, cried "I didn't know you had _vampires_!"

Gráinne Finnegan, who had fallen asleep on Cameron Weasley's shoulder, her OWL revision guide on the floor, shot up, shouted "Yuck!" then proceeded to turn around, touch the floor, wipe down her front and spit into the fireplace, before sitting down again.

Esther watched her with a slightly amused frown.

"But are they really good looking? I mean, Edward Cullen!"

"No. Just, no," said Maura McLaggen.

"Not those Muggle books that Sarah was hooked on a while back," James said. Cameron nodded grimly.

"Listen," Lily Potter said kindly. "Vampires are evil." The bright little eleven year old had been the one that had slapped her bigger cousin on the face and told her to get a grip when she swooned.

"But what about the good ones? The ones with golden eyes, you know?"

"They don't exist," Violet said lazily from where she was having a contest with James to see who could flick their piece of paper further, before Summoning it back. "Trust me."

"But-" Esther looked distraught. "Do you mean they all suck blood?"

Violet struggled to sit up on the sofa. "Yup. I mean, luckily I don't, but that's because I was never actually bitten."

Esther frowned. "What?"

"I'm half vampire."

The other Fifth Years turned back to their work, they had all heard this conversation before. Gráinne picked her study guide up and opened it on Vanishing Spells.

"Really?" Esther said. "So was your dad really, really good looking? Did he save your mum from evil? Did your parents pay the price for being together?"

"Not really," Violet said, continuing with the paper flicking game. "It was just a kind of one-night-stand. I guess he was hot, but I don't know. There wasn't any love about it."

"Yeah, 'cause vampires aren't capable of it," Gráinne grumbled, and tossed Violet a dirty look. "Filthy half-breed," she said.

Esther looked aghast. "I heard that's a really bad insult!"

"No, it's cool," Violet said. "Couldn't expect anything more from a creature as unnatural as yourself after all," she said to Gráinne.

Esther looked from one to the other, utterly confused.

"Explain guys, you're mixing her up," Maura said from the corner.

Violet sighed. "James, you tell her."

"Cameron, you tell her," said James.

"Lily!" Cameron shouted.

Lily blew a raspberry. "They're your friends, not mine."

"Fine," James said, disgruntled, sitting up. "Gráinne's half-werewolf, Violet's half-vampire. There's a bit of a problem there whenever someone brings the subject up."

"Wow, you have werewolves too?" Esther said. "I don't like the werewolves, I only like Jacob but… can your dad turn into a wolf then?"

"My mam, actually," Gráinne said. "And she tries to avoid it."

"But isn't it useful? Can't she like, talk with her mind to the pack?"

"Pack? You make them sound like wild animals. Lavender Finnegan is a functioning part of our society, not to mention an important participant in the ruling of the country."

"But why is she- when vampires are-?" Esther couldn't work it out.

Gráinne groaned and went back to her sheet. "Can I Vanish her?"

"That's not nice," said Violet. "Basically, vampires are evil, like Lily said."

"But aren't you half-vampire?"

"Yeah, so the fact that she thinks they're evil kind of backs up the theory," James said with a grin.

Esther was quiet, then asked "So, can you Morph yet?"

"What?"

"Like, are you old enough to Morph yet? Or is that just guys?"

"Those books aren't real Esther!" Lily said. "Sarah thought so too, until I hit her."

"She's still got the marks," Cameron muttered.

"But, if werewolves and vampires are real-"

"Then, naturally, everything you read about them is false. I can't Morph. There was a massive risk I would be born werewolf, but I wasn't. Okay, so onto Care of Magical Creatures, notes please!"

Violet tossed her the notebook.

"Wait, so you two are friends?" Esther said.

"Well, yeah."

"I mean, we're only half-breeds."

"And we have to share a room."

"Are the Volturi angry with your dad? 'Cause you exist," Esther said to Violet.

"The what now?"

"The Volturi. Come on, you _must_ have heard of them."

"Can't say I have."

"So they're not following you?"

"No, Esther!" Lily said angrily. "They're not real!"

"No, they are, they live in Italy."

"Uh-oh," Elliot said. "Watch out, our little cousin's getting angry."

"Take cover!" James said. Violet looked doubtfully at him.

"Seriously, you do not want to see my sister when she's mad," he said seriously, hiding behind the sofa. All the Weasleys and those in their immediate vicinity ducked and covered their heads.

Lily was building up steam, until her hair began blowing around her and lightning crackled at her feet.

"THEY'RE NOT REAL!" she said angrily, smoke coming out of her nostrils.

"Okay, okay, they're not, they're not," Esther said, cowering.

Lily calmed down back to her usual self and grinned. "Glad we sorted that out," she said happily, as the older students got up cautiously and went back, very quietly, to what they were doing. "After all, we couldn't have somebody acting as if everything in a book was real."


	15. Headmasters

It's been a while!!!!!

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Headmasters**

Professor Gauss had marched them straight to the Headmistress's office, and Fred was disappointed that he missed what the password was.

The office was, however empty. Gauss had stayed there for a while, checking his watch, before saying "She'll be back soon. You're to stay here, not to move, do you hear me?"

Ben, Zara and Fred all nodded solemnly. Gauss left.

Zara burst out laughing. "It was _so _worth it!" she said.

"Definitely," Ben agreed, joining in the laughter. Fred chuckled.

"Did you see his face?"

They had just passed Gareth Goyle a bag of the latest Weasley product, still in experimental stages, tiny chocolate buttons that, when they melted on your tongue, numbed it for an hour or so, leaving you incapable of speech. Gareth, unlike his father who Fred had met once, liked to talk, even if it didn't make sense. Zara had handed him the bag and he had stretched his tonuge out right in front of his eyes trying to make sense of what happened after taking a whole handful instead of just one piece. They had been rolling round laughing when the Potions Master found them, and took Gareth to get an antidote, then marched them up here.

"From Professor Gauss's mutterings, you seem to have cause another student a great deal of discomfort. I do hope it will be redeemable," said a man with twinkling blue eyes from his frame.

Fred stopped laughing. "You're Dumbledore," he said to the picture.

"Indeed," Dumbledore said. "And you must be George Weasley's son. You bear a remarkable resemblance. He was in my office many times. As was your father, Mr. Jordan, I presume?"

Ben nodded.

"And I'm afraid…" Dumbledore said, inclining his head towards Zara.

"Zara Wood," she said.

"Ah yes. Your mother was Katie Bell, I think? Neither were ever in my office, but I did once visit your mother in hospital."

Zara nodded, but none of them spoke.

"The headmistress should be here in a while," Dumbledore said happily.

"It was only supposed to be a joke," Fred said.

"Typical Weasley," sneered a black haired man beside Dumbledore. "That was what your father would say every time I caught him…"

"Peace, Severus," said Dumbledore.

"It's typical Gryffindor behaviour, really," said somebody further up on the wall.

Fred frowned. "There's a picture of you in Uncle Harry's house. You come and shout at us sometimes."

"Well, I'm glad you pay some attention," said the man. "I'm Phineas Nigellus."

"And you must be Severus Snape," said Zara, addressing the newest portrait.

"Yes, I am."

"Dad said that you were a-" Fred began, but Zara elbowed him and he shut his mouth.

"Thanks," he muttered.

"Where _is _the Headmistress, Professor Dumbledore?" asked Ben. "She's always here."

"Oh, less than you might expect. No, she is quite often at the Ministry of Magic these days. Professor Upton is a busy woman. Rather like myself in my days as Headmaster," Dumbledore said, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"But, I mean, Shacklebolt's a good Minister and there's not exactly a war going on-"

A big woman on the wall slapped her thigh with her wand. "Insolence! They never suspect that anything could be going on unless it's right under their noses."

Fred bit his lip. "Is… is there something going on?"

Dumbledore looked away. Ben's eyes widened. "Really?"

Dumbledore gave them a serious glare. "There is always something going on," he said. "I'm afraid happily-ever-after doesn't work in the real world."

"Like… Voldemort again?"

"Worse," Dumbledore said, relishing the word. The three of them stared open-mouthed. Dumbledore sighed. "Which is why you must be prepared, and should not be unkind to fellow wizards. Who knows what small enmities may turn into?"

They bowed their heads.

"The Headmistress will not be back this afternoon, perhaps you should come back tomorrow," Dumbledore said, his voice happy once again.

The Trio stood up and walked out the door, at which point the portraits all burst out laughing.

"That will shock them," said Armando Dippet. "Albus you scallywag."

"Often the only way to deal with a Weasley is face them with mortal danger," Dumbledore replied. "Even if the danger is non-existent.


End file.
